University Council Resolutions

Whereas, Election cycles in Michigan offer citizens to be engaged in civil participation through the elections of elected officials and ballot proposals; and,

Whereas, Every election cycle necessitates voting engagement in the MSU community; and,

Whereas, There are many avenues for citizens to vote, including no-excuse absentee voting, early voting at clerks’ offices, and in-person voting on Election Day; and,

Resolved, That the University Council encourages all student, faculty and staff who are eligible to vote, be registered to vote and make a plan to vote before Election Day on November 8, 2022; and be it further,

Resolved, That the University Council encourages all student, faculty and staff who are registered to vote in the November 8, 2022 elections to vote.

Approved 82-0 on Oct. 18, 2022 

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Resolved, That the University Council has no confidence in the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.

Approved 85-6 on Oct. 18, 2022 

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Whereas,     The academic community at MSU shares and practices transparency in all that it does; and,

Whereas,     MSU has a longstanding history of using investments to support important societal values, for example the divestment in firms supporting South Africa during apartheid; and,

Whereas,     MSU supports the Board of Trustees’ interest in promoting a program of sustainable stewardship that supports the three E’s of sustainability: Environment, Economics, and Equity; therefore be it,

Resolved,    That the MSU Board of Trustees develop and adopt a social conscience framework in its investment policy statement to be transmitted and employed by the investment firms that manage MSU’s endowment; and,

Resolved,    That the MSU Board of Trustees expand the network of investment firms that it uses for managing MSU’s endowment to ensure a competitive approach to supporting the social conscience framework; and,

Resolved,    That where reasonable, the Board of Trustees make Budget & Finance Committee meetings and Investment Advisory Subcommittee (IAS) meetings open to the public in order to demonstrate the Board’s commitment to transparency in all its deliberations.

Adopted on Jan. 31, 2023 

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Resolved,   That the University Council establishes the Ad Hoc Committee on the Structure of the Office of Academic Governance; and

Resolved,   That the committee be charged with evaluating and recommending to the University Council whether the secretary for academic governance should report to the Faculty Senate/Steering Committee chairperson, the associate provost and associate vice president for academic human resources, or someone else; and

Resolved,   That the committee be charged with extending interview invitations to 1) the members of the 2019-2020 Ad Hoc Committee on Restructuring the Office of Academic Governance, 2) Secretary for Academic Governance Tyler Silvestri, 3) Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Human Resources Suzanne Lang, 4) Faculty Senate/Steering Committee Chairperson Karen Kelly-Blake, and 5) any other person the committee deems appropriate to help inform its decision; and

Resolved,   That the committee be comprised of:

• Three faculty senators, elected by the Faculty Senate
• One at-large member of the Steering Committee, elected by the at-large members
• One undergraduate student, appointed by ASMSU
• One graduate student, appointed by COGS
• One dean or dean’s representative, appointed by the provost

Adopted - Sept. 28, 2021

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Whereas, Michigan State University is committed to the highest ethical and academic standards. As a public institution we are committed to transparent decision making and accountable governance; and

Whereas, We will eliminate barriers to access and success, challenge discrimination and bias, and address past and present inequalities; and

Whereas, We will hold ourselves to the highest standards of teaching, research, and engagement, to serve the common good and improve the world we live in; and

Whereas, Recognizing that our current institutional investment policies are not within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030; and

Whereas, The recent reports issued by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the United Nations Global Compact state that failing to consider long term investment value drivers which include environmental, social and governance issues in investment practice is a failure of fiduciary duty; and

Whereas, Honoring our past leadership as a land-grant institution who in 1978 was a national leader in divesting our endowment from companies with subsidiaries in apartheid South Africa; therefore be it,

Resolved, That University Council calls upon the MSU Board of Trustees to create an investment task force to recommend to the Board of Trustees by the end of May 2022 an endowment investment strategy that will align MSU’s endowment holdings with our social, economic, and environmental values as articulated in the MSU Strategic Plan; and be it further,

Resolved, That the task force shall be composed of ten members:

• Two members of the MSU Board of Trustees
• Three members of MSU’s faculty approved by the University Council from each of the following categories:
  - One member representing the disciplines aligned with environmental sciences, agriculture, or STEM
  - One member representing finance, business, or community economic development
  - One member representing the humanities, law, or the social sciences
• Two members representing the MSU students
  - One member appointed by the Associated Students of Michigan State University
  - One member appointed by the Council of Graduate Students
• Two staff members
• Chief Investment Officer Philip Zecher (non-voting, ex officio); and be it further,

Resolved, That the task force shall adopt a scope of work that provides a timely review of our current MSU investment practices, our institutional mission, and our shared vision, as expressed in the MSU Strategic Plan; and be it further,

Resolved, That the task force shall elect its chairperson from its membership at its first meeting, the task force shall be provided administrative support as needed by the Office of the President or its designee, and all meetings of the task force shall be open to the public.

Adopted - Nov. 23, 2021

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Whereas, University Council is the academic governance body that brings together faculty, student, and administration representatives to discuss issues that involve the entire university; and

Whereas, University Council affirms the value of in-person educational, residential, and research experiences at Michigan State University; and

Whereas, University Council supports as many students, faculty, and staff as possible safely returning to in-person campus activities in Fall Semester 2021; and

Whereas, COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and are key to making a safe return to campus possible;

Resolved, That University Council supports mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty, and staff participating in on-campus activities, except as required by law, for those with religious objections, reasonable philosophical objections, or for those medically unable to receive the vaccine.

Adopted - May 25, 2021

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Resolved,    That the Bylaws for Academic Governance add the bolded language to Bylaw 4.4.1.:

 4.4.1  The membership of the University Committee on Undergraduate Education (UCUE) shall include a faculty member from each college, including a faculty member from the Honors College who is not currently serving as a committee member on another University Standing Committee and a faculty member from the non-college faculty. Colleges that do not offer undergraduate degree programs may opt out of electing a representative to UCUE by informing the Secretary for Academic Governance; should a college choose to forgo representation on UCUE, the college’s seat will remain vacant for the duration of the regularly scheduled term. UCUE shall also have four undergraduate student members, of whom one must be the Vice President of Academic Affairs of ASMSU, and two graduate student members from COGS. The Provost shall be a member with voice, but no vote.

Adopted - March 23, 2021

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Resolved, That Article 11 of the Student Rights and Responsibilities read: “A student is a person enrolled or participating in a collegiate level, University-sponsored program or course, regardless of program level; full-time or part-time status; credit, degree, or certificate awarded; location; or mode of instruction. A person remains a student until graduation or completion of the program, permanent dismissal, or non-attendance for three full, consecutive semesters (including summer semester). This definition includes a person who is on a leave of absence, withdraws, is on recess, or graduates after an alleged violation of student conduct policies.”

Adopted - Feb. 23, 2021

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University Council calls upon the Provost, Office of Research and Innovation and Office of Sponsored Programs to immediately withdraw and reconsider the global activities requirement disclosure. Specifically, the university administration should:

1. Recognize that any time there is a conflict between human subjects protection and international disclosure, human subjects protection should take precedence;
2. Exempt social science and humanities research from the global activities requirement disclosure of unfunded collaborations;
3. Provide clear guidance on reporting requirements to avoid uncertainty and unnecessary duplication; and,
4.  Avoid xenophobic language, including language that suggests that there is intrinsic bias and impropriety associated with international collaboration.

During the process of reconsideration, University Council calls upon the university administration to:

1. Seek input from all stakeholders, including units with high percentages of faculty conducting international research, the international research centers (Asian Studies; African Studies; Muslim Studies; Center for Gender in Global Context; Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies; Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies; Canadian Studies), MSU Alliance for African Partnership, international faculty and staff associations, representatives from different disciplinary backgrounds since they have unique concerns, and DEI stakeholders; and,
2.  Provide a community forum and listening session for input from faculty, academic staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and all interested parties on the topic of international research collaboration.

University Council also calls upon the university administration to develop a task force focused on anti-Asian racism and anti-Chinese xenophobia, particularly as it relates to issues of racial climate, recruitment, and retention for Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Asian international faculty, staff and students at Michigan State University.

Additional information:

• Diversity and international collaboration should not become casualties of anti-espionage policies. (2019). Nature, 571(7765), 297–297. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02180-9 A Nature editorial warning that universities should “take great care not to create a toxic atmosphere of unfounded suspicion and fear” and that “‘security’ must include the security of those people from minority groups, such as Chinese and Chinese American scientists, who have made an important contribution to the success of US science”
•  Ellis, L. (2019). China Is Warning Its Students About Going to College in America. Here’s Why That Matters. Chronicle of Higher Education, 65(34) MSU library link Security restrictions have “led many scholars of Chinese descent to feel unfairly targeted and to question whether younger Chinese academics would want to work in the U.S.”
• JASON Report from the National Science Foundation, https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19200/research_protection.jsp While strongly prioritizing national security framings, it does not recommend requirements as sweeping as the MSU GAED policy
• White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Recommended Practices for Strengthening the Security and Integrity of America’s Science and Technology Research Enterprise (January 2021), Recommends a centralized disclosure process for international collaborations, but does not mandate a timeline
• Town Hall on international research offered by Boston University
• University of Michigan Asian American Pacific Islander Task Force created in response to increased anti-Asian hate, discrimination and violence

Introduced by A. Pegler-Gordon

Adopted - Feb. 23, 2021

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Policy on Revocation of Honors and Awards

Michigan State University establishes this policy on the revocation of honors and awards in cases of misconduct to ensure that the university’s honorary recognition and financial support: respects those who have been harmed by individuals at MSU; shows consideration toward those individuals who support MSU with financial contributions; and reflects our values and protects our integrity as an institution.

Members of the MSU community who are recognized with university-wide awards, hold endowed positions, or are supported by endowment or gift funding are in positions of trust and must be held to the university’s standards of academic, financial, and professional conduct.

In cases of misconduct described below, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, an individual may no longer be allowed to (1) use an honorific title; (2) identify themselves as having received an all-university award; (3) continue to receive support from MSU university-wide internal grants; and (4) continue to receive endowed or gifted funding, temporarily or permanently. This policy applies to individuals adjudicated and confirmed to have committed misconduct. The term “misconduct” in this policy includes:

• Serious violations of university policy, including but not limited to violations of the relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy, anti-discrimination policy, and research code of conduct.

• Any civil rights violation that the individual admitted or was determined by a court or other adjudicative process to have committed;

• Any serious crime for which the individual was convicted or pled “no contest;”

• Behavior after which an individual ends employment or status as a student while suspended or during the investigation or termination process; and

• In exceptional cases, any other behavior occurring or discovered after being given the award or honor that is deemed to be substantially inconsistent with the behavior expected of Michigan State

University administrators, faculty and academic staff, graduate students, or undergraduate students.
This policy does not apply in cases where an individual may have violated norms of civility or professional conduct that do not rise to the level of formal investigation and disciplinary action. In this policy, honors and awards refers to: endowed positions; all-university awards, including but not limited to teacher-scholar awards, outstanding faculty awards, university distinguished professorships, and graduate student excellence-in-teaching citations; internal university awards, such as the Humanities Arts and Research Program (HARP) and Strategic Partnership (SPG) grants; and work substantially supported by endowment or gifts.

This policy applies to executive managers, faculty, and academic staff, as well as individuals holding postdoctoral positions, graduate students and undergraduates who receive honorific awards, regardless of the passage of time since the misconduct or investigative or adjudicative outcome. This policy applies only to honorific awards for individuals holding postdoctoral positions, graduate and undergraduate students, not to financial awards. In cases where a group receives an award or honor, this policy applies only to the individual who commits misconduct. This policy does not apply to non-academic staff.

Adopted - Jan. 26, 2021

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Policy on Revocation of Honors and Awards
 

Michigan State University establishes this policy on the revocation of honors and awards in cases of misconduct to ensure that the university’s honorary recognition and financial support: respects those who have been harmed by individuals at MSU; shows consideration toward those individuals who support MSU with financial contributions; and reflects our values and protects our integrity as an institution.

Members of the MSU community who are recognized with university-wide awards, hold endowed positions, or are supported by endowment or gift funding are in positions of trust and must be held to the university’s standards of academic, financial, and professional conduct.

In cases of misconduct described below, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, an individual may no longer be allowed to (1) use an honorific title; (2) identify themselves as having received an all-university award; (3) continue to receive support from MSU university-wide internal grants; and (4) continue to receive endowed or gifted funding, temporarily or permanently. This policy applies to individuals adjudicated and confirmed to have committed misconduct. The term “misconduct” in this policy includes:

• Serious violations of university policy, including but not limited to violations of the relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy, anti-discrimination policy, and research code of conduct.
• Any civil rights violation that the individual admitted or was determined by a court or other adjudicative process to have committed;
• Any serious crime for which the individual was convicted or pled “no contest;”
• Behavior after which an individual ends employment or status as a student while suspended or during the investigation or termination process; and
• In exceptional cases, any other behavior occurring or discovered after being given the award or honor that is deemed to be substantially inconsistent with the behavior expected of Michigan State University administrators, faculty and academic staff, graduate students, or undergraduate students.

This policy does not apply in cases where an individual may have violated norms of civility or professional conduct that do not rise to the level of formal investigation and disciplinary action. In this policy, honors and awards refers to: endowed positions; all-university awards, including but not limited to teacher-scholar awards, outstanding faculty awards, university distinguished professorships, and graduate student excellence-in-teaching citations; internal university awards, such as the Humanities Arts and Research Program (HARP) and Strategic Partnership (SPG) grants; and work substantially supported by endowment or gifts.

This policy applies to executive managers, faculty, and academic staff, as well as individuals holding postdoctoral positions, graduate students and undergraduates who receive honorific awards, regardless of the passage of time since the misconduct or investigative or adjudicative outcome. This policy applies only to honorific awards for individuals holding postdoctoral positions, graduate and undergraduate students, not to financial awards. In cases where a group receives an award or honor, this policy applies only to the individual who commits misconduct. This policy does not apply to non-academic staff.

Approved -Jan. 26, 2021

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Resolved, That the Steering Committee’s recommended composition of the Ad Hoc Committee on Administrator Review include:

• Two undergraduate students appointed by ASMSU
• One graduate student appointed by COGS
• One faculty member appointed by the University Committee on Academic Governance
• Three faculty members appointed by Faculty Senate
• Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Human Resources Suzanne Lang
• Chief of Staff Michael Zeig
• One appointee of President Stanley’s choosing
• One dean from the Council of Deans
• Secretary for Academic Governance Tyer Silvestri (non-voting)
• Secretary of the Board of Trustees Nakia Barr (non-voting)

Adopted - Nov. 24, 2020

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Proposal for University Committee for the Libraries (UCL) to become a Standing Committee 

Justification 
Deborah Moriarty (chair of the Steering Committee) visited the faculty Steering Committee of the Libraries on 2 December 2019. After a number of issues were discussed, including communication between the Libraries and Academic Governance, Deborah thought they could be fixed by changing UCL from an Advisory Committee to a Standing Committee and thus, have a member of UCL on the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee charge states that membership includes: “the Chairpersons of the University-level Standing Committees.” 
We think this should include the Chairperson of UCL on the Steering Committee for several reasons:

1. Library initiatives and policies affect all of campus;
2. UCL has representation from all the colleges and thus, should be considered “University Level”;
3. The other advisory committees (University Bylaw 5.1) are limited in scope, whereas UCL has representation from all the colleges and advise on University level policies;
4. Advisory committees are for “universitywide programs which do not have students or faculty regularly attached” (University Bylaw 5.1). The Libraries appoints librarians, who are considered full-faculty per academic governance;
5. Advisory Committees are for where advising processes “do not provide a sufficiently broad base for the universitywide program.” As stated above, the library affects all of campus, as evidenced by UCL’s campus-wide representation;
6. The UCL regularly provides feedback to the Dean on initiatives. When it is felt that the committee’s feedback is not satisfactorily addressed by the Dean of Libraries, having a seat on Steering would give faculty another avenue to voice their concerns;
7. Librarians are appointed slightly differently than tenure-track faculty (we are continually appointed with full faculty status), and thus have unique needs that can be missed by standard channels of faculty governance.

Background on UCL 
The University Committee for the Library provides for broad-based participation by University faculty and students in the policy-making of the Library. The committee shall serve in an advisory-consultative capacity on all policy matters pertaining to the Library. The committee shall also serve as one of the channels of communication between the Library, the faculty, and the students. 
Composition:

• 1 faculty member from each college including non-college faculty; colleges elect, (2 must be from Faculty Senate)
• 2 undergraduate students
• 2 graduate students

Administrative support
Dean Salem is in support of UCL becoming a Standing Committee

Amendments to the Bylaws for Academic Governance
4.10 University Committee on the Libraries

4.10.1. The faculty of each college and the non-college faculty shall elect one faculty member to represent it on the University Committee on the Libraries (UCL). The committee shall have one regular faculty representative from each of the Colleges and specialized programs, two undergraduate members elected by the Student Council, two graduate student members elected by the Council of Graduate Students, and one medical student member. The Dean of Libraries or a designated representative shall serve ex officio. The committee shall also have one ex-officio member that represents the Library’s internal faculty Steering Committee.

4.10.2. The UCL shall report to the University Council.

4.10.3. The chairperson of UCL will serve on The Steering Committee and thus on the University Council and the Faculty Senate.

4.10.4. The UCL shall provide for broad-based participation by University faculty and students in the policy-making of the Libraries. The committee shall serve in a consultative capacity on policy matters pertaining to the Libraries. The committee shall also serve as one of the channels of communication between the Libraries, the faculty, and the students.

4.10.4.1. UCL shall actively monitor faculty and student concerns about the Libraries’ resources, policies and services.

4.10.4.2. UCL shall work with the Dean of Libraries in developing the Libraries’ programs and policies that meet and promote the instructional and research needs of faculty, students, and staff.

4.10.5. The Dean of the Libraries shall consult with UCL on the state of the libraries, including resources, services, and policies; the university commitment necessary to assure that the Libraries adequately supports the university mission of preservation, creation, transmission, and application of knowledge; and library policies and practices that have University-wide reach.

Approved - Sept. 22, 2020

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Resolved, University Council supports the adoption of a test-optional approach to admissions for students applying to start at MSU in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Resolved, University Council encourages all scholarship committees to adopt a test-optional approach for students applying to start at MSU in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Adopted - April 21, 2020  

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